The County High School, Leftwich, Northwich

Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades The County High School, Leftwich on 6 areas: 3 strong standard and 3 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders are relentless in making sure that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive the support they need."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders, including governors and trustees, know the school very well."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed a well-structured personal development and wellbeing programme."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Generally, pupils leave this school with above-average examination results."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders closely monitor pupils' attendance and understand that, generally, pupils' attendance is close to the national average."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that pupils are taught important knowledge in each subject."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to identify and tackle barriers to attendance so that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, have consistently high attendance"; "Leaders should continue to embed highly effective teaching across all subjects so that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, continue to achieve more highly".

In its own words: "At CHSL we focus on all students Achieving Excellence in their subjects, through leadership opportunities and by embracing the range of exciting and rewarding enrichment opportunities. We provide the highest quality inclusive education through our ambitious curriculum, expert teaching and focused assessment which guides improvement. Our drive is to sustain excellence in academic achievement and in personal development."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to The County High School Leftwich, a school that is ambitious for all our students and where we support and encourage them to show Aspiration, Kindness and Pride . At CHSL, we believe that every child deserves to attend an excellent school, one that enables all students to flourish and be happy."

In 2026, pupils at The County High School, Leftwich averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.3 in Cheshire West and Chester and 47 across England.

52% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in Cheshire West and Chester and 47% in England.

That is down from 51.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.6: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 34.6, against 53.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 18.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.

For September 2026 entry, 226 families put The County High School, Leftwich as their first choice and 466 named it as one of their preferences, for 205 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 21 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The County High School, Leftwich are St Nicholas Catholic High School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.7); Hartford Church of England High School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.7); The Rudheath Senior Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 32.2); and Weaverham High School (3.3 miles, Attainment 8 53.5).

The County High School, Leftwich's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

The County High School, Leftwich is one of 4 schools run by The Sir John Brunner Foundation, an academy trust.

Of the 204 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 33% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

15.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Greenbank Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is County High School (opposite), 90 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The County High School, Leftwich stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, The County High School, Leftwich issued 165 suspensions, 15.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to The County High School, Leftwich are Leftwich Community Primary School (0.1 miles), Kingsmead Primary School (0.6 miles), Davenham CofE Primary School (0.7 miles) and St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.